Rimac Nevera Hits 171mph In Reverse To Set A New World Record

There’s no doubt that the Rimac Nevera is an impressive feat of engineering. It’s previously managed a 1.74 second 0-62mph sprint and has beaten a Red Bull F1 car plus the equally-bonkers McMurtry Spéirling in a drag race. You can add a new entry to its CV - breaking the world record for the fastest speed driving in reverse.

Verified by Guinness, the Croatian hypercar hit 171.34mph going backwards, shattering the previous record of 102.58mph set by a Caterham 7 Fireblade in 2001.

Rimac hasn’t said if the car had any modifications to use all 1,888bhp from its four electric motors to go in reverse, but the advantage of having no gears is it can be just as relentless with its performance going the wrong way. We’d suspect the production car has some sort of electronic limiter to prevent you from recreating this feat, though.

That said, if you’re in line to take the keys to a Nevera, you will be able to buy one that looks just like the car used for the record. Rimac calls the green and carbon livery the Time Attack Edition, and 12 road-going versions of the £1.7m hypercar will be available with it.

Goran Drndak is the man who drove the car for the record, which took place Automotive Testing Papenburg facility in Germany. He said: “On the run itself, it definitely took some getting used to. You’re facing straight out backwards watching the scenery flash away from you faster and faster, feeling your neck pulled forwards in almost the same sensation you would normally get under heavy braking.

“You’re moving the steering wheel so gently, careful not to upset the balance, watching for your course and your braking point out the rear-view mirror, all the while keeping an eye on the speed. Despite it being almost completely unnatural to way the car was engineered, Nevera breezed through yet another record.”